Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Dual density slide-on tray

Dual density slide-on tray description/claims

This invention is related to utensil tray for writing boards.

Typically, blackboards, chalkboards, and dry-erase boards include trays for storage of pencils, chalk or dry-erase pens. These trays are typically rather dense and hard. As a result the corners of these trays pose a safety hazard to children or others who are at a height where inadvertent contact with the trays could cause injury. For example, children whose heads or chests are at tray level may be stabbed or gouged by the exposed corners of the trays. Thus, a need exists for prevention of injuries due to such inadvertent contact.

An embodiment of the dual density slide-on tray is a wall-board tray that includes a dual density elongate section. The dual density elongate section includes a thermoplastic base section that has an attachment side and a utility side. Also included in the dual density elongate section is a thermoplastic tray section that has a tray-section base. The thermoplastic tray section is attached at its tray-section base to the utility side of the thermoplastic base section. In this embodiment, the thermoplastic tray section is less dense or at least softer than the thermoplastic base section.

Other features of the co-extruded wall-board tray include an elongate anchor that extends along the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. At least one additional anchor can extend along the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. Or, the elongate anchor can extend laterally and intermittently, or continuously, from a first end of the dual density elongate section to an opposing second end of the dual density elongate section. An additional anchor extending intermittently or continuously from the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section can be added. Alternatively, the co-extruded wall-board tray can include an elongate anchor receiving recess within the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section to receive a protrusion extending from an object to which the wall board tray is to be attached. The elongate receiving recess can extend continuously or intermittently from a first end of the dual density elongate section to an opposing second end of the dual density elongate section. An additional anchor receiving recess can be added within the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. Further, the connection between the thermoplastic base section and the thermoplastic tray section can be made seamless by heat or chemically treating the two sections.

An additional embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray includes a dual density elongate section. The dual density elongate section includes a thermoplastic base section, which has an attachment side and a utility side, and a thermoplastic outer section that surrounds at least two sides of the thermoplastic base section. The thermoplastic outer section is less dense or at least softer than the thermoplastic base section. An elongate anchor can be added to the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section and can extend along the entire length thereof.

This embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray can include at least one additional anchor that extends along the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. The elongate anchor laterally extends continuously, or intermittently, from a first end of the dual density elongate section to an opposing second end of the dual density elongate section. An additional anchor extending continuously or intermittently can be added to the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. Alternatively, in lieu of the anchor, an elongate anchor receiving recess can extend continuously or intermittently along the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. The anchor receiving recess would be attachable to a protrusion on a wall or wall-board. For increased stability, an additional anchor receiving recess can be placed within the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section.

A yet further embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray includes a dual density elongate section. The dual density elongate section includes a thermoplastic base section, which has an attachment side and an opposing utility side, an elongate clip having an arm, which is attached at its arm to the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. The dual density elongate section further includes a thermoplastic utility section that is connected to the utility side of the thermoplastic base section. The thermoplastic utility section is less dense or at least softer than the thermoplastic base section.

Though not limited thereto, the elongate clip has a U-shaped cross-section. The elongate clip extends continuously from a first end of the dual density elongate section to an opposing second end of the dual density elongate section. Alternatively, the wall-board tray can include an elongate anchor receiving recess, which extends continuously from a first end of the dual density elongate section to an opposing second end of the dual density elongate section, within the attachment side of said thermoplastic base section. A further alternative in this embodiment is an elongate anchor that extends or projects from the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section. The antithesis to the elongate anchor is an anchor receiving recess within the attachment side of the thermoplastic base section.

A yet further embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray includes a utility section and an anchor section that is connected to the utility section. The anchor section includes a generally planar first attachment plate, which is connected to the utility section, and has a second attachment plate, which is connected to a wall-board at a connection between the anchor section and the utility section. The utility section is comprised of a softer or at least less dense material relative to the anchor section. The second attachment plate can be a clamp. The second attachment plate is planar and generally perpendicular to the first attachment plate. Further, the second attachment plate can include a distal edge that is configured with the first attachment plate as a clamp.

FIG. 1a shows an embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray;

FIG. 1b shows a variation of the embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray shown in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray;

FIG. 3a shows a yet further embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray;

FIG. 3b shows the embodiment of FIG. 3 attached to a board;

FIG. 4a shows an embodiment of the co-extruded wall-board tray engaging a board;

FIG. 4b shows an elongate clip combined with an elongate anchor receiving recess;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws