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Steering wheel tray for using portable computer in vehicle

Steering wheel tray for using portable computer in vehicle description/claims

This invention is drawn to the field of vehicle supported horizontal planar structures, and more particularly, to a steering wheel tray for using a portable computer in a motor vehicle at rest.

Two types of food or computer or work trays for use in motor vehicles are known. One type is mounted to the steering wheel while parked, such as the food trays of U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,026 to Seibert, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,412,425 and 6,192,806 to Chen, and GB 2,144,627 to Judge; or the computer or other secure holding trays of U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,738 to Richter and U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,148 to Mullaney; or the book holders of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,878 to Guo and JP11151125 to Keiji; or the steering wheel mountable clipboard of U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,805 to Douglas. Reference in this connection may also be had to U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,035 to Fernandez, U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,606 to Vise, U.S. Pat. No. 2,244,861 to Walker, Sr., US Patent Application Publication US2004/0094677 to Guo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,161 to Falcone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,559 to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,769 to Lewis, U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,300 to Honea, U.S. Pat. No. 1,900,325 to Baymen, and JP2004345623 to Susumu. The other type of food or computer or work trays for use in motor vehicles are mounted or supported by surfaces or structures in the vehicle other than the steering wheel, such as the rear seat food tray of GB 2,144,627 to Judge or the folding table of U.S. Pat. No. 1,549,957 to Belden.

However, the prior art devices that have been robust enough to support a personal computer from the steering wheel have been comparatively complex in construction, expensive to manufacture, subject to malfunction, difficult to repair due to their complexity, not readily storable when not in use, and/or not readily washable so that they were not sufficiently sanitary for use with foodstuffs; while the heretofore known food trays were too fragile to reliably support a personal computer from the steering wheel, too small to accept a personal computer, were not readily storable, were expensive to manufacture, and/or have been not readily washable. There therefore is a need for a steering wheel tray for using a portable computer in a motor vehicle while parked that is not subject to the disadvantages of the heretofore known food, computer or work trays.

It accordingly is one object of the present invention to disclose a steering wheel tray for use with a personal computer in a motor vehicle at rest that is sanitary, because machine washable, and that preferably is constructed of rip-stop nylon or other flexible, machine washable sheet material.

It is another object of the present invention to disclose a steering wheel tray for use with a personal computer in a motor vehicle that is sturdy, because of a one-piece construction that provides the strength and the reliability to support the comparatively heavy weight and/or large size of some personal computers, while accommodating items ancillary to the use of the computer in the vehicle, such as writing paper and/or writing instruments, when used for business purposes; or game CDs etc., when used for pleasure. Of course, it may also be used with napkins or straws etc., when the tray is used while eating or drinking.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a steering wheel tray for use with a personal computer in a vehicle that is low in cost and easy to manufacture, because comparatively simple, that preferably is constructed of precut sheets of threadably joined flexible material.

It is yet another object to disclose a steering wheel tray for a personal computer in a motor vehicle that is foldable, preferably occupying the space of a small attache case, that thereby is easy to store in the vehicle when not in use and ready to deploy if and as needed, whether for business or pleasure.

In accord with these and other objects, the steering wheel tray for use with a personal computer in a motor vehicle at rest of the present invention includes back and bottom panels and a linear hinge articulating said back and bottom panels for pivoting motion between a compact closed position, where said panels lie over each other in a generally parallel relation occupying the space of a small attache case, and an open use position, where said panels define a generally right or oblique angle, such that said bottom panel is in a generally horizontal orientation whenever the back panel is steering wheel mounted. In the open use position, the steering wheel tilt may be adjusted to adjust the angle of the bottom panel when mounted to the steering wheel.

The back panel includes threadably joined, precut sheets of flexible material arranged to provide a rearwardly and downwardly opening pocket that is sized to cap a motor vehicle's steering wheel. It also includes threadably joined precut sheets of flexible sheet material arranged to provide a forwardly and upwardly opening pocket sized to removably support items such as writing paper, writing instruments, portable memory devices and other items ancillary to use of the personal computer to perform work, play games or, when the tray is used to have a meal or a drink while parked, to hold straws and the like items.

The bottom panel includes threadably joined precut sheets of flexible material arranged to provide a reclosable pocket adapted to receive a removable, rigid board. A rigid board adapted to make the bottom panel rigid is removably received in the board receiving pocket thereof.

Side panels of precut flexible sheet material are threadably joined to the sides of the back and bottom panels. The side panels are arranged to fold inwards when the back and bottom panels are in their closed position and to support the bottom panel in said generally horizontal usage position when in open position allowing the bottom panel to support a personal computer when the back panel is mounted to the steering wheel of an at rest motor vehicle. Preferably, the side panels are of an opaque, glare reducing or eliminating material and include a power cord through hole.

Preferably, the precut sheets of flexible material of the back, bottom and side panels are of rip-stop nylon or other machine washable material.

Preferably, the back and bottom panels are of a durable anterior and posterior double-walled construction and all threaded seams of the threadably joined back and bottom panels of double-walled construction are blind seams that present an aesthetically pleasing finish.

These and other objects, inventive aspects and advantageous features of the present invention will become apparent as the invention becomes better understood by referring to the following, solely exemplary, detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments thereof, and to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side pictorial view showing the novel steering wheel tray of the present invention mounted to the steering wheel of an automobile or other motor vehicle while parked;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the steering wheel tray for using a personal computer in a vehicle;

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• Utility Patent

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