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US4958737A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

CRT or computer monitor accessory tray

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-01-18
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Granted: 1990-09-25
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Expires: 2010-01-18
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Abstract

Abstract An accessory tray which can be placed atop a computer monitor regardless of the monitor's size and shape. The underside of the tray has a rubber friction pad attached near its front, and a bendable wire attached near its rear by means of tubes welded to the underside. The wire is bent to hold the rear of the tray spaced from the top of the monitor so that the tray will not block any air vents in the top of the monitor. The friction pad, and a soft plastic sleeve over the portion of the wire that contacts the top of the monitor, enable the tray to resist slipping. Options such as a copyholder and a static electricity grounding connection are also attachable to the underside of the tray.

Inventors

  • 👤 Abraham E. Auerbach

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 19:49
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05F; H05F3/00; H05F3/02; A; A47; A47B; A47B21/00; A47B21/03; A47B21/0314; A47B23/00; A47B2021/0321; A47B2200/00; A47B2200/0084; A47B2200/0089

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
A tray for placement atop a computer monitor for holding items in the space above said monitor without allowing such items to fall or block the air vents in the top of such monitor, comprising: a tray having a flat upper surface and means for causing objects placed in said tray to resist falling off a plurality of sides of said tray, means associated with the undersurface of said tray for enabling said tray to be placed on top of any computer monitor within a range of sizes and shapes without falling off said monitor and without blocking any air vents on the top of said monitor, said means comprising a friction surface at the front of said undersurface of said tray and an adjustable wire support at the rear of said undersurface of said tray.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 136 words
A tray for placement atop a computer monitor for holding items in the space above said monitor without allowing such items to fall or block the air vents in the top of such monitor, comprising: a tray having a flat upper surface and means for causing objects placed in said tray to resist falling off a plurality of sides of said tray, means associated with the undersurface of said tray for enabling said tray to be placed on top of any computer monitor within a range of sizes and shapes without falling off said monitor and without blocking any air vents on the top of said monitor, said means comprising a friction surface at the front of said undersurface of said tray and an adjustable wire support at the rear of said undersurface of said tray.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 132 words
The tray of claim 1 wherein said friction surface has a coefficient of friction greater than about 0.3 and said adjustable wire support comprises wire-holding means and a bendable length of wire attached to said wire-holding means, said wire extending generally normal to said lower surface of said tray, said wire-holding means and said wire being arranged so that said wire can be bent and positioned so that one portion of said wire can be positioned on a rear surface of the top of said monitor and another portion of said wire will support said opposite end of said tray a given distance above said monitor when said tray is placed thereon, and so that said wire can be used to support said tray on monitors of a given range of sizes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
The tray assembly of claim 2 wherein said wire-holding means comprises a plurality of tubular channels attached to said lower surface of said tray.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The tray assembly of claim 3 wherein said plurality of tubular channels are mounted in parallel at spaced locations adjacent one end of said lower surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 174 words
A tray assembly for placement atop a computer monitor, comprising: a tray comprising a flat member having upper and lower major surfaces which face in opposite directions, an area of one side of said lower surface having friction means which has a coefficient of friction greater than about 0.3, the opposite side of said lower surface having wire-holding means attached thereto, a bendable length of wire being attached to said wire-holding means, one portion of said wire extending generally normal to said lower surface of said tray, said wire-holding means and said wire being arranged so that said wire can be bent and positioned so that one portion of said wire can be positioned on a rear surface of the top of said monitor and another portion of said wire will support said opposite side of said lower surface of said tray a give distance above said monitor when said tray is placed thereon, and so that said wire can be used to support said tray on monitors of a given range of sizes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 174 words
A tray assembly for placement atop a computer monitor, comprising: a tray comprising a flat member having upper and lower major surfaces which face in opposite directions, an area of one side of said lower surface having friction means which has a coefficient of friction greater than about 0.3, the opposite side of said lower surface having wire-holding means attached thereto, a bendable length of wire being attached to said wire-holding means, one portion of said wire extending generally normal to said lower surface of said tray, said wire-holding means and said wire being arranged so that said wire can be bent and positioned so that one portion of said wire can be positioned on a rear surface of the top of said monitor and another portion of said wire will support said opposite side of said lower surface of said tray a give distance above said monitor when said tray is placed thereon, and so that said wire can be used to support said tray on monitors of a given range of sizes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
The tray assembly of claim 5 wherein said friction means comprises a layer of rubber which is adhesively secured to said area of said lower surface of said tray.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
The tray assembly of claim 5 wherein said tray is made of sheet metal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
The tray assembly of claim 5 wherein said wire holding means comprises a plurality of tubular channels attached to said lower surface of said tray.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 34 words
The tray assembly of claim 8 wherein said plurality of tubular channels attached to said lower surface of said tray are mounted in parallel at spaced locations adjacent one end of said lower surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 76 words
The tray assembly of claim 8 wherein said bendable length of wire comprises a length of wire which has a pair of stop means at spaced locations thereon, a pair of spacer sections adjacent said respective stop means, and a center support section between said spacer sections, said center section being joined to said spacer sections by a pair of bends, and said spacer sections being joined to said stop means by a pair of bends.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The tray assembly of claim 5 wherein said tray has a plurality of upright sides on at least three edges thereof, said sides being perpendicular to said upper surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 45 words
The tray assembly of claim 5, further including a copyholder attached to said lower surface of said tray, said copyholder comprising suspension means for suspending at least one sheet of paper from said lower surface so that said paper is normal to said lower surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 37 words
The tray assembly of claim 12 wherein said suspension means comprises additional wire-holding means attached to lower surface of said tray, an elongated rod inserted into said additional wire-holding means, and paper-holding means mounted on said rod.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 22 words
The tray assembly of claim 13 wherein said additional wire-holding means comprises a hollow channel attached to lower surface of said tray.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 31 words
The tray assembly of claim 14 wherein said hollow channel attached to said lower surface of said tray extends across at least half of said entire lower surface of said tray.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 16 words
The tray assembly of claim 5, further including static electricity grounding means attached to said tray.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 41 words
The tray assembly of claim 5 wherein said friction means comprises a member having an upper surface containing magnetic attachment means and a lower surface facing in a direction opposite to that of said upper surface and comprising said friction means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 85 words
The tray assembly of claim 17 wherein said member is a channel having a U-shaped configuration with a central section and has orthogonal legs at the opposite ends of said central section having a pair of flanged sections respectively attached thereto, said flange sections being parallel to said center section, one side of said center section having said friction means attached thereto, one side of each of said flange sections, opposite said one side of said center section, having said magnetic attachment means attached thereto.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 36 words
The tray assembly of claim 18 wherein said friction means is a sheet of material selected from the group consisting of plastic or rubber, and said magnetic attachment means is a resilient sheet of magnetic material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 28 words
The tray assembly of claim 17 wherein said member is a channel having a W-shaped configuration, having said magnetic means attached atop the center portion of the W.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3595513A Cited
US4444319A Cited
US4570804A Cited
US4735467A Cited
US4844264A Cited
US4846382A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-09-24 1994-03-26 1994-09-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-09-24 1998-03-26 1998-09-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-09-24 2002-03-26 2002-09-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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