Patent Application
20230082199
This invention relates to lap tables. More particularly, it relates to an improved lap table.
A table is an item of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs, used as a surface for working at, eating from or on which to place things. Some common types of tables are the dining room table, which is used for seated persons to eat meals; the coffee table, which is a low table used in living rooms to display items or serve refreshments; and the bedside table, which is used to place an alarm clock and a lamp. There are also a range of specialized types of tables, such as drafting tables, used for doing architectural drawings, and sewing tables.
One type of table is a lap table, that being a table for placing on one's lap and can be used to hold a dinner or other activities. One problem that exists with lap tables used for eating a dinner or snack is that when the table is placed on the person's lap while sitting on a couch, a plate holding the food has a propensity for sliding around or falling off. The lap table is often unstable when using for this purpose as well as other activities.
Accordingly, and in light of the foregoing, it would be desirable to devise an improved lap table that is stable when being used to eat a dinner or snack while sitting on a couch or other soft furniture. It would be further advantageous if the lap table were devised to securely hold things sitting on the lap table and prevent items on the lap table from sliding or falling off.
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.
“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.
Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.
Referring to
The lap table 10 is preferably made of a wood material, however other materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, Formica, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), plastic, etc. The lap table 10 is preferably nineteen (19) inches in length, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, sixteen (16) inches, twenty (20) inches, etc. The lap table 10 is preferably fifteen (15) inches in width, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, twelve (12) inches, sixteen (16) inches, etc. The lap table 10 is preferably a rectangular shape, however other shapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, oval, round, hexagonal, etc.
The lap table 10 has a surface 20, a first side 30, a second side 40, a third side 50, and a fourth side 60. The surface 20 is preferably flat.
The surface 20 has a middle 21, a first corner 22, a second corner 23, a third corner 24, and a fourth corner 25. A first end 31 of the first side 30 is coupled to a second end 42 of the second side 40 thereby forming the first corner 22. A first end 41 of the second side 40 is coupled to a second end 52 of the third side 50 thereby forming the second corner 23. A first end 51 of the third side 50 is coupled to a second end 62 of the fourth side 60 thereby forming the third corner 24. A first end 61 of the fourth side 60 is coupled to a second end 32 of the first side 30 thereby forming the fourth corner 25.
A middle 21 of the surface 20 has a plate holder 27. The plate holder 27 is useful for holding a dinner plate. The plate holder 27 preferably has a diameter of eleven (11) inches, however other diameters are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, seven (7) inches, fourteen (14) inches, etc.
A cup holder 28 is configured substantially near the fourth corner 25 of the surface 20. The cup holder 28 is useful for holding a cup, drinking glass, etc. The cup holder 28 preferably has a diameter of three and one-half (3.5) inches, however other diameters are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two (2) inches, five (5) inches, etc.
A phone holder 29 is configured between the plate holder 27 and the first end 30 of the surface 20. The phone holder 29 is configured to be in a vertical direction from the lap table 10. The phone holder 29 is preferably made of a plastic material, however other types of materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, wood, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), etc. The phone holder 29 preferably has a height of seven (7) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, five (5) inches, nine (9) inches, etc. The phone holder 29 preferably has a width of four (4) inches, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, three (3) inches, five (5) inches, etc. The phone holder 29 preferably has a depth of one (1) inch, however other depths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, one-half (0.5) inch, two (2) inches, etc.
Optionally, and or additionally, the improved lap table 10 has a first silverware holder 90 and a second silverware holder 91. The first silverware holder 90 is securely coupled to the second side 40 of the surface 20. The second silverware holder 91 is securely coupled to the fourth side 60 of the surface 20. The first silverware holder 90 and the second silverware holder 91 are configured to hold silverware, such as forks, spoons, knives, etc. and other objects such as napkins, toothpicks, etc. The first silverware holder 90 preferably having a length of six (6) inches, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, five (5) inches, seven (7) inches, etc. The first silverware holder 90 preferably having a width of three (3) inches, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two (2) inches, four (4) inches, etc. The second silverware holder 91 preferably having a length of six (6) inches, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, five (5) inches, seven (7) inches, etc. The second silverware holder 91 preferably having a width of three (3) inches, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two (2) inches, four (4) inches, etc.
Further optionally, and or additionally, a first handle 92 and a second handle 93 are coupled to the lap table 10. The first handle 92 is coupled to the second end 40 of the surface 20. The second handle 93 is coupled to the fourth end 60 of the surface 20. The first handle 92 and the second handle 93 are useful for transporting the lap table 10 easily and stabile. The first handle 92 preferably having a height of three (3) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two (2) inches, four (4) inches, etc. The second handle 93 preferably having a height of three (3) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two (2) inches, four (4) inches, etc.
Moving now to
The lap table 10 as described in
In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.
The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
This utility application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/243,144, filed on Sep. 12, 2021, the entirety is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63243144 | Sep 2021 | US |
