Foldable lap tray

Claim 2

A foldable tray formed out of a unitary blank of sheet material, comprising: a top portion for placement on the lap of a seated person and having a substantially horizontal central area defined between a substantially parallel pair of inner score lines formed in the blank; and leg engaging means, joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, for placement around the outside of and under the thighs of the seated person, the leg engaging means comprising: a substantially vertical side portion joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, each of the side portions being defined between one of the inner pair of score lines and one of a substantially parallel pair of outer score lines formed in the blank, the side portions being bent along the inner pair of score lines for placement around the outside of the thighs of the seated person; and a substantially horizontally bottom portion joined to each of the side portions along one of the outer pair of score lines, the bottom portions being bent toward each other along the outer pair of score lines for placement under the thighs of the seated person.

Claim 3

The foldable tray of claim 2, wherein the bottom portions include clasping means for removably connecting the bottom portions together when they are bent toward each other

Claim 4

The foldable tray of claim 2, wherein the clasping means comprises: a male clasping element on one of the bottom portions; and a female clasping element on the other bottom portion, the female clasping element including means defining a slot for receiving the male clasping element.

Claim 5

The foldable tray of claim 3, wherein the female clasping element includes an end piece with a slot, the end piece being bendable with respect to its associated bottom portion along a score line, and wherein the male clasping element includes means forming a tab that is receivable in the slot and bendable so as to engage the end piece.

Claim 6

The foldable tray of claim 1, wherein each of the side portions comprises an upper side portion and a lower side portion joined along an intermediate score line along which the lower side portion is bendable to a portion substantially perpendicular to the upper side portion and substantially coplanar with the adjacent bottom portion.

Claim 7

The foldable tray of claim 1, wherein the blank of sheet material has a front edge, a rear edge, and a pair of opposed lateral edges; wherein the pair of inner score lines extends from the front edge to the rear edge so as to define between them the central area; and wherein each of the pair of outer score lines is spaced from and substantially parallel to one of the inner score lines, each of the outer score lines defining a portion of one of the lateral edges, each of the bottom portions extending from one of the lateral edges along one of the outer score lines, each of the side portions being defined between a lateral edge and one of the inner score lines, whereby the central area defines the top portion when the side portions are bent along the inner score lines so as to be substantially parallel to each other, and whereby the bottom portions are bendable toward each other along the outer score lines so as to be extended underneath the thighs of the seated person.

Claim 8

The foldable tray of claim 6, wherein the blank further comprises a pair of intermediate score lines, each extending from the front edge to the rear edge, and each located between one of the inner score lines and one of the outer score lines, thereby dividing each of the side portions into an upper side portion and a lower side portion, each of the lower side portions being bendable along one of the intermediate score lines so as to be substantially perpendicular to its adjacent upper side portion and substantially coplanar with its adjacent bottom portion.

Claim 9

The foldable tray of claim 7, further comprising clasping means on the bottom portions for removably connecting the bottom portions together when they are bent toward each other.

Claim 10

The foldable tray of claim 8, wherein the clasping means comprises: a male clasping element on one of the bottom portions; and a female clasping element on the other bottom portion, the female clasping element including means defining a slot for receiving the male clasping element.

Claim 11

The foldable tray of claim 9, wherein the female clasping element includes an end piece with a slot, the end piece being bendable with respect to its associated bottom portion along a score line, and wherein the male clasping element includes means forming a tab that is receivable in the slot and bendable so as to engage the end piece.

Claim 12

The foldable tray of claim 6, wherein the top portion includes means for restraining articles from sliding off of the top portion, the article restraining means comprising a plurality of flaps cut into the central area near the inner score lines and the front and rear edges, each of the flaps being bendable out of the plane of the central area so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto.

Claim 13

A foldable tray formed out of a unitary blank of sheet material, comprising: a top portion for placement on the lap of a seated person and having a substantially horizontal central area defined between a front edge, a rear edge, and a substantially parallel pair of inner score lines formed in the blank and extending from the front edge to the rear edge; and leg engaging means, joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, for placement around the outside of and under the thighs of the seated person, the leg engaging means comprising: a substantially vertical side portion joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, each of the side portions being defined between one of the inner pair of score lines and one of a substantially parallel pair of outer score lines formed in the blank, the side portions being bent along the inner pair of score lines for placement around the outside of the thighs of the seated person; and a bottom portion joined to each of the side portions along one of the outer pair of score lines, the bottom portions being bent toward each other along the outer pair of score lines, so as to underlie and be oriented substantially parallel to the central area, for placement under the thighs of the seated person.

Claim 14

A foldable tray formed out of a unitary blank of sheet material, comprising: a top portion for placement on the lap of a seated person and having a substantially horizontal central area defined between a front edge, a rear edge, and a substantially parallel pair of inner score lines formed in the blank and extending from the front edge to the rear edge; and leg engaging means, joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, for placement around the outside of and under the thighs of the seated person, the leg engaging means comprising: a substantially vertical side portion joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, each of the side portions being defined between one of the inner pair of score lines and one of a substantially parallel pair of outer score lines formed in the blank, the side portions being bent along the inner pair of score lines for placement around the outside of the thighs of the seated person; and a bottom portion joined to each of the side portions along one of the outer pair of score lines, the bottom portions being bent toward each other along the outer pair of score lines, so as to underlie and be oriented substantially parallel to the central area, for placement under the thighs of the seated person.

Claim 15

The foldable tray of claim 12, wherein the blank further comprises a pair of intermediate score lines, each extending from the front edge to the rear edge between one of the inner score lines and one of the outer score lines, each of the intermediate score lines dividing one of the side portions into an upper side portion and a lower side portion that are bendable with respect to each other along the intermediate score line.

Claim 16

The foldable tray of claim 12, further comprising clasping means on each of the bottom portions for removably interconnecting the bottom portions when the blank is bent along the outer score lines so as to bring the bottom portions into the position underlying the central area.

Claim 17

The foldable tray of claim 14, wherein the clasping means comprises: a male clasping element on one of the bottom portions; and a female clasping element on the other bottom portion, the female clasping element including means defining a slot for receiving the male clasping element.

Claim 18

The foldable tray of claim 15, wherein the female clasping element includes an end piece with a slot, the end piece being bendable with respect to its associated bottom portion along a score line, and wherein the male clasping element includes means forming a tab that is receivable in the slot and bendable so as to engage the end piece.

Claim 19

The foldable tray of claim 12, wherein the top portion includes means for restraining articles from sliding off of the top portion, the article restraining means comprising a plurality of flaps cut into the central area near the inner score lines and the front and rear edges, each of the flaps being bendable out of the plane of the central area so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto.

Claim 20

A foldable tray formed out of a unitary blank of sheet material, comprising: a top portion for placement on the lap of a seated person and having a substantially horizontal central area defined between a front edge, a rear edge, and a substantially parallel pair of inner score lines formed in the blank and extending from the front edge to the rear edge; leg engaging means, joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, for placement around the outside of and under the thighs of the seated person, the leg engaging means comprising: a substantially vertical side portion joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, each of the side portions being defined between one of the inner pair of score lines and one of a substantially parallel pair of outer score lines formed in the blank, the side portions being bent along the inner pair of score lines for placement around the outside of the thighs of the seated person; and a bottom portion joined to each of the side portions along one of the outer pair of score lines, the bottom portions being bent toward each other along the outer pair of score lines, so as to underlie and be oriented substantially parallel to the central area, for placement under the thighs of the seated person; article restraining means in the top portion for restraining articles from sliding off of the top portion, the article restraining means comprising a plurality of flaps cut into the central area near the inner score lines and the front and rear edges, each of the flaps being bendable out of the plane of the central area so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto; and clasping means on each of the bottom portions for removably interconnecting the bottom portions when the blank is bent along the outer score lines so as to bring the bottom portions into the position underlying the central area.

Claim 21

A foldable tray formed out of a unitary blank of sheet material, comprising: a top portion for placement on the lap of a seated person and having a substantially horizontal central area defined between a front edge, a rear edge, and a substantially parallel pair of inner score lines formed in the blank and extending from the front edge to the rear edge; leg engaging means, joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, for placement around the outside of and under the thighs of the seated person, the leg engaging means comprising: a substantially vertical side portion joined to the top portion along each of the inner pair of score lines, each of the side portions being defined between one of the inner pair of score lines and one of a substantially parallel pair of outer score lines formed in the blank, the side portions being bent along the inner pair of score lines for placement around the outside of the thighs of the seated person; and a bottom portion joined to each of the side portions along one of the outer pair of score lines, the bottom portions being bent toward each other along the outer pair of score lines, so as to underlie and be oriented substantially parallel to the central area, for placement under the thighs of the seated person; article restraining means in the top portion for restraining articles from sliding off of the top portion, the article restraining means comprising a plurality of flaps cut into the central area near the inner score lines and the front and rear edges, each of the flaps being bendable out of the plane of the central area so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto; and clasping means on each of the bottom portions for removably interconnecting the bottom portions when the blank is bent along the outer score lines so as to bring the bottom portions into the position underlying the central area.

Claim 22

The foldable tray of claim 23, wherein the blank further comprises a pair of intermediate score lines, each extending from the front edge to the rear edge between one of the inner score lines and one of the outer score lines, each of the intermediate score lines dividing one of the side portions into an upper side portion and a lower side portion that are bendable with respect to each other along the intermediate score line.

Claim 23

The foldable tray of claim 1, wherein the clasping means comprises: a female clasping element on one of the bottom portions, the female clasping element having an end piece with a slot, the end piece being bendable with respect to its associated bottom portion along a score line; and a male clasping element on the other bottom portion, the male clasping element including means forming a tab that is receivable in the slot and bendable to engage the end piece.