U.S. patent application number 10/460444 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-18 for portable desk.
Invention is credited to Evans, Barbara J., Evans, Herbert J..
Application Number | 20030230220 10/460444 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29740131 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030230220 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Evans, Barbara J. ; et
al. |
December 18, 2003 |
Portable desk
Abstract
The present invention provides a unitary portable desk for use
in a chair's arms having an arched center region having a pair of
substantially rectangular side regions, each located at one end of
the arched region. The portable desk includes two
parallel-positioned handles located near the bottom sides of the
right and left substantially rectangular regions to provide
ergonomic carrying and positioning of the desk. It also includes
releasable securement devices that are removably positioned to
secure desktop items.
Inventors: |
Evans, Barbara J.; (Godwin,
NC) ; Evans, Herbert J.; (Godwin, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JINAN GLASGOW
P O BOX 28539
RALEIGH
NC
276118539
|
Family ID: |
29740131 |
Appl. No.: |
10/460444 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60389326 |
Jun 17, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
108/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 7/70 20130101; A47B
23/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/43 |
International
Class: |
A47B 023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable desk for providing a lightweight portable work
surface comprising a unitary portable desk having a work surface
and an opposing bottom surface; a centrally arched region having
opposite ends; a bottom side and a top side of the centrally arched
region that are spaced apart and substantially parallel; and two
substantially rectangular regions, each of the substantially
rectangular regions positioned on the opposite ends of the
centrally arched region, wherein the opposing bottom surface is
supportable by a chair's arms, wherein the two substantially
rectangular side regions are symmetrical about an axis running
through a center point of the arched region on each of the top and
bottom sides, thereby providing stability and comfortable fit about
the waist area of a seated user when the unitary portable desk is
balanced across the chair's arms.
2. The desk according to claim 1, further including two
parallel-positioned handles located near bottom sides of the
substantially rectangular regions for providing ergonomic handling
of the desk by the user.
3. The desk according to claim 1, wherein the handles are formed by
oblong holes in the substantially rectangular regions.
4. The desk according to claim 1, further including releasable
securement devices positioned near the junctures of the central
arched region and the substantially rectangular regions.
5. The desk according to claim 4, wherein the releasable securement
devices are elastic straps that are repositionable and stretchable
to secure items placed on the work surface of the desk.
6. The desk according to claim 4, wherein the releasable securement
devices are rubber bands that are repositionable and stretchable to
secure items placed on the work surface of the desk.
7. The desk according to claim 1, wherein the desk is made from a
unitary material.
8. The desk according to claim 7, wherein the desk is formed by a
single piece of wood.
9. The desk according to claim 7, wherein the desk is formed with a
material selected from wood, lightweight metals, plastic, composite
materials, and combinations thereof.
10. The desk according to claim 1, wherein the work surface is
laminated.
11. The desk according to claim 1, wherein the work surface is
coated.
12. The desk surface according to claim 1, wherein the work surface
is treated to aid surface cleaning.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This non-provisional utility patent application claims the
benefit of prior filed provisional patent application number
60/389326 filed Jun. 17, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] (1) Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to tables and, more
particularly, to a portable desk suited for use on a person's lap
and supported by a chair's arms.
[0004] (2) Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Portable desks are small personal tables that fit on a
person's lap to make it easy for a person to read or write within a
person's proximity in a natural setting such as while sitting in a
chair or on the sofa or recliner while watching television. In
today's increasingly sedentary society portable desks provide a
necessary tool for multi-tasking. For example one may read, write,
eat, type or surf the internet on a portable desk while watching
television in one's recliner, sitting on a lawn chair on a summer's
day, or sitting by the pool under the shade. Prior patents such as
those cited below describe varieties of portable desks.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,698 issued Nov. 13, 1990, to Stuart T.
Maynard, Jr., describes an apparatus for a portable desk having a
work surface panel that is supported over a seated user by support
compartments which extend to the seat surface during use. The
support compartment folds to the underside of the work surface
panel when not in use so that the desk can be freestanding on the
work surface panel front edge. The support compartments provide
storage for books and a pencil holder. A drawer beneath the work
surface panel is slideable in two directions, toward the user for
access and away from the user to support books or papers proximate
the work surface panel and is sandwiched between the work surface
panel and the storage compartments when the storage compartment are
folded under the work surface panel.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,244 issued May 10, 1994, to Alvin G.
Borgardt describes a lapboard that is adapted to be fitted to a
chair with two arms, where the lapboard is a generally flat surface
with a cleat positioned to generally parallel to and close one arm
of the chair and a second cleat positioned generally parallel to
and close to the other arm of the chair, plus securing means for
securing the lapboard to the chair. The lapboard is secured by one
or two straps connected to the rear right and left of the lap board
and looped around behind the occupant of the chair, preferably
fastened by a quick release clip. A second strap connected to the
front right and left of the lapboard can be looped around the arms
to secure the front of the lapboard.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,706 issued Mar. 12, 1996, to Cheong Ah
Yong describes a device for a portable table including a top
surface having a plurality of compartments =positioned within a
removable block member permitting ease of cleaning and maintenance
of the block and the compartments therewithin, and including
pivotally mounted legs mounted to a bottom wall of the table,
wherein pairs of the legs are arranged for interconnection to
optionally employ a tensioning structure to maintain the legs in an
orthogonal relationship relative to the bottom wall.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,656 issued Jan. 16, 2001, to David K.
Blanchard describes a portable lap table to be used by small
children for traveling in a vehicle. The lap table includes a
kidney shaped board surface, a center support structure, and the
center support structure being arched and contoured to fit the
user's thighs for comfort and stability. The table's top surface
may have various recesses for holding crayons, drinks, and the
like, a gutter for containing liquid spills, an outer lip to
prevent objects from rolling off the surface, and handles for
portability.
[0010] The portable desk in the '698 patent is non-unitary,
non-ergonomic and bulky. The '244 patent is fitted for a wheel
chair and non-ergonomic. The '706 patent is mounted on legs and
non-ergonomic. Unlike the other three above, the '656 patent is
continuously kidney shaped. As a result of the kidney shape it is
more likely that the center of the edge of the table may tip over.
This instability and tipping tendency makes it impossible to use
the desk without an additional support underneath the desk surface.
As such, the '656 patent includes a central support structure
fitting between the legs of a child. The handles of the table are
also located in uncomfortable positions on the left and right sides
of the table. Grasping the board with two hands would be awkward
for child or adult alike. Thus, there remains a need for a
substantially unitary and ergonomic portable desk, one that is not
prone to tipping over and is easily moved using two hands. The
present invention addresses and solves these issues.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is directed to a unitary portable desk
for laptop use and supported by a chair's arms having an arched
center region with two substantially rectangular side regions
located on the right and left sides of the arched center region
which regions are symmetrical in the Y-direction of the desk.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the portable desk is composed of
a unitary piece of material.
[0013] Preferably, the portable desk includes two
parallel-positioned handles located near the bottom side of the
right and left substantially horizontal regions, such that the
handles face the desk user when the desk is in use.
[0014] Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide
a portable desk that includes releasable securement devices
positioned across the portable desk at the junctures of the central
arched region and the substantially rectangular regions for
releasably securing desktop items.
[0015] These and other aspects of the present invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the
following description of a preferred embodiment when considered
with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the
portable desk.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] In the following description, like reference characters
designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such
terms as "forward," "rearward," "front," "back," "right," "left,"
"upwardly," "downwardly," and the like are words of convenience and
are not to be construed as limiting terms.
[0018] The present invention provides a portable desk for providing
a lightweight portable work surface including a unitary portable
desk having a work surface and an opposing bottom surface; a
centrally arched region having opposite ends; a bottom side and a
top side of the centrally arched region that are spaced apart and
substantially parallel; and two substantially rectangular regions,
each of the substantially rectangular regions positioned on the
opposite ends of the centrally arched region, wherein the opposing
bottom surface is supportable by a chair's arms, wherein the two
substantially rectangular side regions are symmetrical about an
axis running through a center point of the arched region on each of
the top and bottom sides, thereby providing stability and
comfortable fit about the waist area of a seated user when the
unitary portable desk is balanced across the chair's arms.
[0019] Referring now to the drawings in general, the illustrations
are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the
invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. As
shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides a portable desk for
laptop use and to be supported by a chair's arms, referred to as 1
generally, includes three major components, a centrally arched
region 1 having opposite ends and a bottom side 7.0 and a top side
8.0, and two substantially rectangular regions 3 and 4 each
positioned on opposite ends of the arched region. The portable desk
is symmetrical in the Y-direction and asymmetrical in the
X-direction, where the Y-direction is established by an axis
running between two points B-B located at the central or peak point
of the arched regions of each of the spaced apart substantially
parallel sides and the X-direction is established at a right angle
to the Y-direction axis and running through a central point of the
desk surface through A-A. The figure does not show the bottom
surface of the portable desk that is positioned facing downward
toward the user's lap when the user is seated in a chair. However,
it is the bottom 7.0 that is juxtapositioned next to the torso or
abdominal area when the desk is in use.
[0020] The bottom side or edge 7.2 of the centrally arched region 2
contours generally to accommodate the abdominal portion or region
of a person, generally in the area of a person's waist or the area
slightly above the lap area of a seated person. Preferably the
bottom side of the desk is arched away from the body, or inward or
concave into the portable desk toward a central area of the desk,
such as at the intersection of the X- and Y-axes established in the
foregoing. The top side 8.2 of the centrally arched region
preferably is arcuate or arched in shape, more preferably
corresponding to the bottom side arch 7.2. Alternatively, the top
side 8.2 may be modified to include edges rather than a continuous
curve as with the arched form previously described.
[0021] One of the pair of substantially rectangular regions, a
right region 3, extends outwardly from a right side of the
centrally arched region 2. It has bottom side 7.1, right side 5,
and top side 8.1. Correspondingly, the second of the pair of
substantially rectangular regions, the left region 4, extends
outwardly from a left side of the central arched region 2. It has
bottom side 7.3, left side 6, and top side 8.3. The-substantially
rectangular character of the right region 3 and left region 4 of
the desk 1 provides stability for the portable desk. Additionally,
it allows a person to naturally rest his or her arms on the
rectangular region. Importantly, due to the unique shape of the
desk surface, any pressure applied by the user's resting arms,
which typically occurs at the opposing sides in the substantially
rectangular regions 3 and 4, further stabilizes the desk against
the chair arms thereby preventing the portable desk from tipping
over. In the preferred embodiment of the desk the rectangular
regions and central arched regions merge continuously to form a
unitary desk surface. Alternatively, the rectangular regions may be
joined with the central arched region to provide a jointed
structure that allows for folding the desk to create a more
portable desk.
[0022] Preferably, the portable desk is made from a unitary
material, rather than being formed of a multiplicity of attached
components, such as a single piece of wood. The wood may be
laminated, coated or treated to aid surface cleaning.
Alternatively, the desk may be composed of or include other
materials including lightweight metals, plastic, and composite
materials.
[0023] Preferably, the portable desk includes two
parallel-positioned handles 9 and 10 located near the bottom sides
of the right and left substantially rectangular regions, 7.1 and
7.3 respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the handles are formed
by oblong holes or openings in the rectangular regions. The handles
are shaped to fit many sizes of hands. They are preferably shaped
as extended ovals. Parallel positioning near the bottom side
provides for ease of moving the portable desk due to ergonomic
arrangement, since the wrists do not need to bend or twist
unnaturally in order to grasp the handles, which face the user's
abdominal region. By contrast the invention described in the '656
patent has handles that extend outward requiring awkward wrist
positioning that could injure the user. In the present invention,
the handles may be positioned alternatively in other positions on
the portable desk. The handles in the present invention may be
contoured to fit the fingers of a person, making it more
comfortable for one to move the portable desk. Moreover, rubber
grips may be added for increased comfort and ease of use.
[0024] Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide
a portable desk that includes releasable securement devices 11 and
12 that are moveably positioned across the portable desk. In a
preferred embodiment the releasable securement devices are near the
junctures of the central arched region and the substantially
rectangular regions. Preferably, in one embodiment the releasable
securement devices are elastic straps, more preferably rubber
bands. The releasable securement devices are repositionable and
stretchable to secure items placed on the work surface of the desk
and are used to hold items such as papers, pens, etc. that are used
by the desk user while seated, but that may be held in place by the
releasable securement devices if the user adjusts the desk while
seated and/or moves the desk to stand and to carry it to another
location.
[0025] Although preferred and alternative embodiments of the
present invention have been described above and illustrated in the
accompanying, it will be understood by those skilled in the art
that the invention is not limited to those embodiments disclosed,
but is capable of numerous improvements and modifications without
departing from the spirit of the invention. Certain modifications
and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a
reading of the foregoing description. All modifications and
improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness
and readability but are properly within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *