Serving tray apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US8973796B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Serving tray apparatus",
  "abstract": "A serving tray apparatus comprising a container support portion and a hand/forearm engaging portion incorporating a mechanism for releasably attaching the container support portion to the hand/forearm engaging portion.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A serving tray apparatus which comprises: a) a container support portion comprising a rigid plate having a plurality of radially arrayed apertures for receiving and supporting beverage containers within and extending completely through the apertures and below said rigid plate; b) a forearm engaging portion comprising a longitudinal body having a vertically depending hand grip at a first end and a pair of spaced apart downwardly depending wings at a second end for engaging a user's forearm, whereby the hand grip and the wings are substantially coplanar to provide a three point stand when placed on a horizontal surface; c) said longitudinal body comprising downwardly extending sides sloping from distal ends of said wings to a base of said hand grip where said hand grip meets said longitudinal body; d) means for releasably attaching the container support portion to the forearm engaging portion comprising a first fastener for the container support portion and a second fastener for the forearm engaging portion, whereby the first fastener mates with the second fastener; e) the first fastener comprising the rigid plate having a centrally disposed threaded bore and the second fastener comprising an externally threaded upstanding boss on the forearm engaging portion which engages with the internally threaded bore of the first fastener; and f) a plurality of flanged receptacles, with each flanged receptacle positioned into and extending completely through each aperture in the rigid plate, and each receptacle having a side wall and a bottom closing wall thereby providing for placement of the beverage containers into the flanged receptacles."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates generally to trays and, more specifically, to a serving tray apparatus having a rigid plate-like beverage container-support portion and a hand/forearm engaging portion.\n\nThe beverage container-support portion provides at least one rigid plate-like tray having a plurality of apertures or cavities for receiving and supporting a beverage container in a respective aperture/cavity thereby preventing lateral movement of said container once placed within a respective aperture/cavity.\n\nThe beverage container-support portion further incorporates at least one of a pair of mating fasteners for attaching the container supporting portion to the hand/forearm-engaging portion.\n\nThe hand/forearm-engaging portion having a longitudinal body provides the mating fastener to said beverage container-support portion fastener whereby the container-support portion is fastened to the hand/forearm-engaging portion that further comprises a downwardly depending hand grip and a channeled forearm brace.\n\nThe hand/forearm-engaging portion adds stability to handling the tray by virtue of the hand grip and channeled forearm brace. In other words, as the tray's center of balance changes while the tray is being carried from one location to another and when the tray's containers are removed, it becomes more difficult to balance a serving tray with one hand.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65D 1/34",
    "A47B 23/002",
    "A47G 23/0616",
    "A47G 23/0625",
    "A47G 23/0641"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47B 23/00",
    "A47G 23/06",
    "B65D 1/34"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Mustafa Abusaoud",
    "Ali Abusaoud"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-08-27",
  "publication_date": "2015-03-10",
  "grant_date": "2015-03-10",
  "priority_date": "2012-08-27",
  "application_number": "US-201213595539-A",
  "family_id": "52597729",
  "cited_by_count": 11,
  "citations": [
    "US7360666B1",
    "US20100230419A1"
  ]
}