GB2266447A

GB2266447A - Tray

Info

Publication number: GB2266447A
Application number: GB9209316A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chun Woon Paul Ma
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-04-30
Filing date: 1992-04-30
Publication date: 1993-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2012-04-30
Also published as: GB9209316D0; GB2266447B

Abstract

A tray (10) which comprises a body (11) and an engaging member (14) provided on the underside (13) of the body (11) for engaging a part of a hand of a user in order to enable a said user to hold the tray (10) firmly. <IMAGE>

Description

TRAY The present invention relates to a tray for carrying an object.

According to the invention, there is provided a tray which comprises a body and an engaging member provided on the underside of the body for engaging a part of a hand of a user in order to enable a said user to hold the tray firmly.

Advantageously, the engaging member is pivotally connected to the underside of the body of the tray.

It is preferred that the pivotable connection between the engaging member and the underside of the body of the tray is sufficiently loose for the engaging member to hang down under its own weight when the tray is in the normal use position.

In a preferred embodiment, a recess is provided in the underside of the body of the tray for accommodating the engaging member when the engaging member pivots or is pivoted close to the tray body.

It is preferred that the engaging member is closed, into or through which a said part of a user's hand can pass to engage with the body of the tray.

Preferably, the engaging member has two opposite ends which are secured to the underside of the body of the tray.

In a specific construction, the engaging member is in a shape substantially semi-circular.

Preferably, the engaging member is provided on one lateral side of the body of the tray.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the engaging member extends along an axis of symmetry of the body of the tray.

The engaging member may be arranged to engage a finger or thumb of a said user.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side view of an embodiment of a tray in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the tray of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the tray of Figure 1, showing the manner in which the tray is to be held by a user.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a tray 10 embodying the invention, which tray 10 comprises a generally circular body 11 having a short up-turned rim 12 along its periphery. On an underside 13 of the tray body 11, there is provided an engaging member 14. The engaging member 14 is formed by a strip of metal bent into a generally semi-circular shape and having opposite ends 15 folded inwardly into alignment with each other.

In the position where the engaging member 14 is provided, a circular recess 16 is formed which defines therein a circular portion 17 of the tray body 11. The circular recess 16 has a general diameter across the same as that of the engaging member 14, and has a cross-section slightly larger than that of the latter. A pair of diametrically opposed holes 18 is formed in the periphery of the circular portion 17, each of which is slightly larger than either folded end 15 of the engaging member 14.

The engaging member 14 is pivotably connected to the underside 13 of the tray body 11 by its ends 15 engaging loosely within the corresponding holes 18 in the circular portion 17. In the normal use position of the tray 10, the engaging member 14 hangs down automatically under its own weight. When the tray body 11 is turned up-side-down, the engaging member 14 will pivot down under its own weight into either one side of the circular recess 16, being fully accommodated or retracted. Also, the engaging member 14 will be pivoted into either one side of the circular recess 16 when the tray 10 is placed on a flat surface. This construction permits a number of such trays 10 to be piled up in a neat manner, with the engaging members 14 hidden within the associated trays 10.

As best shown in Figure 2, the engaging member 14 is located on one side of the tray body 11, and its pivot axis extends along an axis of symmetry 19 of the tray body 11.

With reference also to Figure 3, the engaging member 14 is designed to be engaged by a thumb 20 of a hand 21 of a user passing therethrough. The off-centre position of the engaging member 14, i.e. being on one side, enables the user to hold the tray 10 firmly in a balanced manner by spreading all four fingers 22 apart and pressing against the underside 13 of the tray body 11.

In this particular embodiment, the engaging member 14 is closed by the underside 13 of the tray body 11. A slightly different embodiment of the tray of the invention may have the engaging member open or in the form of a hook. In a further different embodiment, the engaging member may be in the form of two hooks located back-to-back or may have a generally T-shaped configuration for engaging two adjacent fingers side-by-side, such as the index and middle fingers.

It is apparent that the engaging member of the tray embodying the invention may engage either the thumb or any one finger of the hand of a user or the palm of the user's hand.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tray comprising a body and an engaging member provided on the underside of the body for engaging a part of a hand of a user in order to enable a said user to hold the tray firmly.

2. A tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engaging member is pivotally connected to the underside of the body of the tray.

3. A tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pivotable connection between the engaging member and the underside of the body of the tray is sufficiently loose for the engaging member to hang down under its own weight when the tray is in the normal use position.

4. A tray as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a recess is provided in the underside of the body of the tray for accommodating the engaging member when the engaging member pivots or is pivoted close to the tray body.

5. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engaging member is closed, into or through which a said part of a user's hand can pass to engage with the body of the tray.

6. A tray as claimed in claim 5, wherein the engaging member has two opposite ends which are secured to the underside of the body of the tray.

7. A tray as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the engaging member is in a shape substantially semi-circular.

8. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engaging member is provided on one lateral side of the body of the tray.

9. A tray as claimed in claim 8 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein the pivot axis of the engaging member extends along an axis of symmetry of the body of the tray.

10. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engaging member is arranged to engage a finger or thumb of a said user.

11. A tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.