Collapsible Stand-up Tray Holder

Abstract

The device of this invention is a collapsible, tray holder having an upper tray cradle, universally adapted to hold a variety of different types of trays, an upright support, and a base. The cradle portion includes a rear stabilizer and a spring loaded front clasp designed to receive and hold trays of different sizes and shapes. The base and the cradle are connected to the upright with locking hinge connections forming, when assembled, a substantially C-shaped support. The tray cradle may be unlocked and folded at the hinge connections, parallel to the upright, with or without a tray therein. The base connection may also be unlocked for pivotal movement to collapse the holder to an I-shaped configuration for shipment or storage.

Description

This invention relates to collapsible tray holders for supporting trays of various shapes, such as circular, eliptical, or rectangular. In addition, the device of this invention will support either decorative trays or rigid work surfaces.

Although a wide variety of trays are generally available for domestic use, supporting stands are invariably bulky and hard to store, or adapted to support only a tray of a particular shape. Further, heretofore available C-shaped support stands which enable the base to be positioned under a sofa, chair or bed, while the tray is held in position for use have generally been unstable, or bulky and unattractive.

In particular, tray supports are usually designed for a specific purpose, such as for hospital use in conjunction with a bed to support an eating or writing surface, or for home use to support an eating surface. Tray supports for use in the home are usually not C-shaped, and are seldom sturdy enough for use either as a decorative item of furniture and as a support for a general working surface as, for example, to support a base for a typewriter or to form a desk.

Previously available tray supports also create storage problems because they do not readily collapse into a compact storage unit. Tray supports, being primarily functional rather than decorative, should be readily collapsible for storage when not in use. Collapsibility is also a necessary feature if the support is to be used in a mobile home, on a yacht, or in a camper or tent with camping equipment.

The tray support of this invention is readily adaptable for use in the home, work shop, or office, and may easily be collapsed when used in a mobile home. The support is strong and steady, and universally adaptable to support a wide variety of decorative trays, or if desired, a rigid base for use as a work surface. In addition, the tray clasping member is designed to allow insertion of a tray carrying, for example, food and drink, merely by pulling a spring loaded finger pull. The tray is easily inserted in the support of this invention with one hand.

The support of this invention includes an upper tray cradle and a base, both pivotally attached to an upright support. The upper tray cradle has a combination rear tray stabilizer and handle, and a front spring loaded clasp with finger pull. The base and cradle may be locked in a horizontal position for supporting a tray, or unlocked and folded either against the upright or parallel thereto for storage in an I-shape.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible tray support universally adaptable for use in supporting a wide variety of trays.

It is another object to provide a C-shaped tray support sturdy enough to support a work surface, but also of a decorative design lending itself to domestic uses supporting metal or plastic, etc. meal or hors d'oeuvre trays.

It is a further object to provide a C-shaped tray support which may be collapsed to an I-shape for storage.

It is yet another object to provide a C-shaped tray support for convenient positioning beside a chair, sofa or bed to hold the tray thereover which is inexpensive and economical to manufacture, and when collapsed, compact for shipment.

It is still another object to provide a decorative tray support which is easy to assemble and when assembled, exhibits a simple, uniquely attractive, modern design.

These and other objects will be readily apparent with reference to the following drawings and description, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tray support of this invention holding a rectangular tray, and having a portion of the tray cut away to show the clasping member retracted in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the support and tray of FIG. 1 showing, in phantom, the tray clasping member in a retracted position.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the tray support of this invention collapsed in an I-shape for storage and holding a circular tray.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support of this invention fully collapsed in an I-shape convenient for shipment or storage without a tray.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tray holder of this invention is comprised of three basic components: the tray cradle 11, a base 13 and an upright support 15 connecting the base and the cradle.

Cradle 11 includes, in the preferred embodiment, a holder bed 17 having twin hollow members 19. The bed 17 is pivotally mounted on an upright 15 by a pin or rivet 21. A transversely disposed angle member 23 also rotatably mounted on upright 15 acts as a stop when members 19 are raised through a horizontal position, or when they are lowered to the collapsed position of either FIG. 3 or 4.

Secured to members 19 is a pivotally mounted rear stabilizer 25 having a forwardly depending gripping member 26 for engaging the tray back as shown in FIG. 2. Stabilizer 25 may also be used as a handle. A spring loaded tray clasp 27 is disposed at the front end of members 19. Clasp 27 includes twin hooks 29 and a finger pull 31 whereby, as shown in FIG. 1, clasp 27 may be pulled out to insertion of a tray on bed 17 abutting rear stabilizer 25. Spring 33 then urges hooks 29 against the tray to hold it on bed 17 against rear stabilizer.

Cradle 11 may be raised as shown in FIG. 3 or lowered with or without an attached tray from the horizontal position of FIGS. 1 and 2 merely by raising bed 17, rotating stop 23 into a vertical position, and lowering bed 17 until members 19 are aligned with upright 15. At this point, stop 23 is rotated to lock bed 17 into lowered position aligned with upright 15.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the pivotally mounted rear stabilizer 25 and the spring loaded hooks 29 of clasp 27 are designed to accommodate different size trays, and different types of tray edges. When cradle 11 is in a horizontal position, by pulling finger pull 31 to withdraw hooks 29 from bed 17, a tray loaded with food may be inserted into the tray holder with ease.

Base 13 includes front and rear cross legs 34 and 35 respectively, and twin bridging members 37. Bridge 37 is pivotally mounted on upright 15 by transverse rivet 39 and terminates above front cross leg 34. Leg 34 is attached to bridge 37 preferably, with bolts 41 to facilitate dismantling.

Rear cross leg 35 is attached to upright 15 with a bolt 43. Rotation of bridge 37 when the tray holder is in an upright position is limited by leg 35, which acts as a stop.

The C-shaped tray holder of this invention may be collapsed to an I-shape for storage merely by rotating bridge 37 until it is aligned with upright 15, rotating stop 23 to the vertical position and lowering bed 17 into alignment with upright 15, and subsequently locking bed 17 by rotating stop 23 laterally to upright 15.

To collapse the tray holder further into a compact package for shipment, it is necessary merely to remove bolt 43 from rear cross leg 35, and one of the bolts 41 from front cross leg 34. Front leg 34 may then be rotated into alignment with bridge 37 and bridge 37 rotated upwardly into alignment with upright 15. Thus, by removing the rear leg and two bolts, the tray holder may be collapsed to form a compact package shown in FIG. 4.

The device may be assembled with ease merely by reversing the above described process.

The tray holder of this invention may be constructed from a wide variety of materials, including lacquered steel and anodized aluminum. The preferred embodiment utilized either bars, angles, or tubes for the individual parts. The bridge 37 is preferably either a right angle member or a tube of square cross section. The upright 15 and bed 17 are shown in the drawings as tubes of square cross section, but the bed could be a twin angle configuration instead. The cross legs 34 and 35 may be bars, angles, tubes or other extruded shapes.

The rear stabilizer 25 and front clasp 27 are preferably constructed from round wire.

For height adjustment, upright 15 may telescope in any convenient manner. The upright may slidably receive a tube of smaller diameter having a spring detent to lock the upright support at a desired height.

Cross legs 34 and 35 may optionally carry rubber or plastic feet 50 or any other type of foot member to prevent skids. Alternatively, the feet may be replaced with casters, if desired.

In a preferred embodiment, the holder of this invention when in an I-shape, was approximately 40 inches long and 1 1/4 to 2 inches deep. Bed 17 is suggested to be about 3 inches wide and 9 inches long.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the materials of construction and dimensions of the components may be varied within the scope of this invention, and without departing therefrom.

Claims

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible tray holder comprising; an upright support; parallel bridge members pivotally connected to the base of said upright support at opposite sides thereof, with said bridge members extending from said upright support; a first lateral crossleg connecting adjacent ends of said bridge members opposite said upright support; a second lateral crossleg attached to said upright support and disposed adjacent said bridge members at the pivotal connection, said second leg disposed to stop pivotal movement of said bridge members into said upright support when said bridge members extend perpendicularly from the base of said upright; tray holding means including at least one bed member pivotally connected at an end thereof at the upper end of said upright support; and opposed hook members carried by said bed, for releasably engaging opposite edges of the tray; releasable stop means connected to said upright support adjacent said bed member at the pivotal connection thereof, for stopping pivotal movement of said bed member into said upright support when said bed member extends perpendicularly from said upright support so that when said stop means and said second leg are disposed abutting said bed and bridge members, respectively, said members are adapted to extend outwardly from said upright support substantially perpendicular thereto in an erect position, and when said stop means and said second leg are not disposed abutting said members, said members are adapted to be pivoted to a collapsed position.

2. The tray holder of claim 1 wherein the tray holding means comprises: twin bed members pivotally connected to said upright support at an end opposite said base and extending outwardly from said support; biased hooking means slidably received in said bed members at the end thereof opposite said upright support for receiving an edge of a tray; and a tray stabilizer pivotally connected to said bed members at an end thereof and disposed adjacent said upright support, said stabilizer disposed to receive an edge of a tray opposite the edge received by said hooking means.

3. The tray holder of claim 2 wherein the stop means comprises a stop rotatably connected to said upright support adjacent the pivotal connection of said bed members, said stop selectively preventing pivotal movement of said bed members into said upright support when said bed members extend outwardly from said upright support.

4. A collapsible tray holder comprising: an upright support; a base pivotally connected to said support; a tray bed pivotally connected to said support; a rear tray stabilizer pivotally engaging the rear of said bed for receiving the rear edge of the tray; a plurality of mutually spaced hooks, the shanks of said hooks slidably received in said bed, said hooks opening upwardly to receive the front edge of a tray; bias means connecting the shanks of said hooks and said bed for normally urging said hooks into said bed; a handle interconnecting the hooking portion of said hooks for withdrawing said hooks from said bed.