GB2413753A - A lap protector - Google Patents

Abstract

A lap protector which is made from soft material which when draped over the lap of the user sags in the middle allowing food items to be supported and for crumbs etc to be collected. The soft material may be made from neoprene which may be covered in material on one or both sides. Preferably the lap protector has at least one pocket that may be detachably attached to the lap protector and/or side walls to keep food/crumbs on the lap protector. The pocket or side wall may provide additional support to the lap protector between the legs of the user. The lap protector may be formed as a bib to provide additional chest protection for the wearer; the bib will be connected around the neck of the wearer. The lap protector may be rolled up after use to trap and safely store any crumbs.

Description

24 1 3753

LAP PROTECTOR

The present invention relates to a flexible lap protector which is positioned on the lap and used for protecting the wearer's clothes from crumbs and stains from snacks, particularly whilst eating in a vehicle.

The present invention is similar to a lap tray in its basic functionality although it is not intended to support cups or cans of drink but rather give the user an area to rest food on the lap and prevent crumbs from falling into user's lap or onto the chair. Many different types of lap tray exist and are mainly used for mealtimes or carrying out craftwork from an armchair in a domestic environment, or to assist with eating snacks or fast food in vehicles. Many lap tray inventions have been patented but each suffers from the disadvantages described accordingly forthwith with each type.

Types of lap tray known mainly include those that are of a generally rigid construction.

These typically have a rigid tray-top of which sometimes these have recesses of various shapes, to hold cups for instance, and side walls to stop spills running over the edge.

Some known inventions have a rigid element used for legs to raise the tray top up to lap- top level off the chair cushion. Some have mechanisms to enable the lap- tray device to fold up into a smaller form, some have devices to connect them to chairs, the backs of car seats, wheelchairs or on to person's body in some manner, including straps.

These rigid type lap-trays typically have the same problems. Even if folded up they cannot be stored easily, particularly in a vehicle where space is at a premium. If stored in the boot (back storage compartment of a car) it means the lap-tray is not readily available in an instant, where, for a quick snack, it would be preferable if the tray were in the driver's compartment within easy and quick reach. Also the ergonomic comfort of a rigid structure is not ideal for various reasons; in particular, a rigid structure can be restrictive to body movement, such as moving the legs, and any body movement will tend to be transferred to the tray-top and cause any food to roll off. Also it can be difficult to achieve a perfectly level tray-top as the angle of the chair and/or the user's lap will differ between circumstances. Another problem is that the rigid edge of the tray could be uncomfortable on the underside of the arms if the arms are rested on the tray for some time and also the edge of the tray is vulnerable to being accidentally knocked and therefore the food and/or drink being dislodged or spilt. Also a rigid tray will not easily fit between the user's torso and the steering wheel of a car and a further problem is that a rigid structure cannot readily be used when driving a vehicle. Finally it is not easy to contain remaining crumbs or used packaging with a rigid lap-tray unless it particularly folds in such a manner or has a lid to achieve some storage functionality.

Known lap tray patents include those, as a broad example of the many existing, in patents referenced US5425455 MILLER BOB (US); SETTERLUND BRETT (US), US5497885 SUSSMAN SY (US), US6116165 KADESKY YALE M (US), US6116166 ROTSTEIN GALI (US), US5915561 LORENZANA VANCE A (US); LORENZANA MOISES B (US) and US5862933 NEVILLE BOYD A (US); all of which use a rigid element in the design to either act as the rigidly formed tray-top or support the tray by acting as legs or form shapes in the tray to hold the food or drink in the specific recesses. In patent US5671479 DEDRICK TED RANDALL (US) the invention attempts to overcome the problems of rigid trays by using a flexible material but this has the problem of using a stiffsprung outer rim to hold the material open. This will not readily adapt to the shape of the user's lap and will have a hard feel to the edge, so the product could be accidentally knocked and the food dislodged, particularly if driving. Patent US4958577 PIERA JAMES (US); DEMAIO RICHARD (US) has improved the storage functionality of a rigid tray by making it being able to be rolled up. However it still is rigid whilst sat on the person and can be easily knocked and food or drink dislodged. Patents US4788916 and EP0303745 LEVIN JULIAN attempt to make the lap tray more ergonomically friendly by adding a bean bag underneath but this means the product has a permanently large volume, which is not easy to store.

An object of this invention is to provide a lap protector which cannot be accidentally knocked which thus ensures the food and crumbs remain safely on the surface, and which will adapt to any angle or position of the user and chair, be comfortable on the underside of the arms, allows good movement of the body or legs without dislodging the food, is waterproof in case a drink is spilt on it, can store away any crumbs safely until a suitable disposal site is found after the meal and can be stored away in a small volume that is convenient for storing in a car in the proximity of a driver's seat for quick and easy access.

Accordingly, this invention provides a lap protector made up of a soft material, preferably neoprene (polychloroprene sheet as used for making wet-quits), which covers and drapes over most of the lap area and lower torso area and which has a return wall or pocket at one end to catch and store crumbs, which can be rolled up after use, with the pocket being rolled inside the entire lap protector, to safely store any remaining food and packaging into a small and convenient shape for stowage under, or next to, the vehicle seat for quick access.

The present invention works well as the soft material forms a natural dish shape in the lap area between the legs into which the food can be safely placed without fear of the food falling off. The pocket bridges across the legs in a generally straight line acting as an end wall to prevent food rolling off forwards and the legs and lower torso act as the other three walls so that the middle sags to create the dish form into which the food is placed.

Crumbs and drips also collect in this hollow dish form and these can be brushed into the pocket after the meal for neat storage until a convenient bin is found to empty them into.

It is preferable for the pocket to add some strength to the end of the lap protector near the knees and this is preferably achieved by simply forming the pocket into a generous curved half-tube 'C' shape which acts as a 'C' section bridge. Other methods of bridging between the legs are possible including adding strengthening materials such as plastic or simply thickening up the neoprene in that area.

The present invention fits all body shapes and sizes well, is not affected by different angles of seat as the user simply positions the lap protector correctly on their lap to suit the situation. The product may overhang the sides of the legs to some extent or even be wide enough to be tucked underneath the legs for a secure fit. The soft material is not affected by knocks and does not transfer sudden body movement to the food, as a rigid tray would, so the food is less likely to be accidentally dislodged.

The flat overall form of the present invention means it is easier to drive a vehicle with it on the lap and safely turn the steering wheel, if so desired. The product could also be positioned away from the user for instance on the adjacent seat to protect the seat surface or it could be used on a table for improved hygiene.

The soft material allows the present invention to be rolled or folded up after use for compact and neat storage and can be fixed closed in a number of known common ways such with snap-fixings or Velcro_ fabric grip pads.

It is preferable to use neoprene sheet, preferably covered in a material facing such as woven nylon or polyester on at least one side, to make the lap protector. The material coating adds strength, feels soft and the user can wipe their hands on the surface to partially clean them after the meal. Neoprene meets the objectives of the present invention well in that it is flexible, soft, waterproof, easily cleanable, has a firm overall structure, always returns to its original shape and is a long life and robust material.

Preferably the edges of the neoprene would be finished with an edging strip, typically of cotton sheet bias binding, for protection and to improve the appearance. Other suitable materials may be appropriate for constructing the present invention, such as woven fabrics, rubber sheet or foamed materials and the materials are not limited to neoprene.

The present invention may have more than one pocket. In an alternative embodiment of the aforementioned present invention the product could have side walls all, or partly, round the edges for increased security against crumbs falling off. Further more, another embodiment would be to not have a pocket or side walls at all, or a further embodiment would be to just have side walls but without a pocket. s

Preferably the shape of the present invention is generally circular with a straight edge to bridge between the knees although the shape is not limited to this description in any way.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes forming it more like a bib so that the user's torso is well protected. This would mean the part touching the torso covers the chest area and goes up around the neck and connects with fastenings. The single piece of material construction, preferably neoprene, with the folded over pocket in a 'C' section has the benefit of being a simple and therefore low cost construction technique and will offer good water-tightness, and is preferable to having a separate piece of material added to the main base material to construct the pocket. It would be preferable in this embodiment for the product to be more like a bib form so that the bias is more to protect the front torso area than the lap area.

A further alternative embodiment of the present invention includes forming the pocket by adding at least one additional piece of material onto the main piece to form the pocket feature.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE I shows the lap protector laid out flat FIGURE 2 shows the lap protector on a user's lap with food and crumbs in the centre dish form FIGURE 3 shows the lap protector rolled up FIGURE 4 shows the lap protector as a bib format As shown in Figure 1, the neoprene I is generally circular in shape with a flat distal end and with an edging strip 2 finishing the edges. A fixing method such as snap-fixings 3 is shown. It has a return wall at the distal end to form the pocket 4 and this is shown in a half-tube form squashed flat on each end. This could equally be a more vertical upstanding wall and could travel further, or all the way, round the product to hold in crumbs and spills.

In Figure 2 the centre of the neoprene 1 sags downwards to hold the food items 5 securely in place whilst the rest of the neoprene I fits over the lap and lower torso comfortably and securely. The pocket 4 at the furthest distal end adds support to create a bridge between the knees. It is preferable to use the curved section of the pocket 4 or an upstanding wall to add strength to the area between the knees although other methods of adding strength to the structure in this area are possible and are described in the aforementioned paragraphs.

Figure 3 shows the lap protector rolled up, which closes up the pocket to trap in any crumbs, and is held closed with the snap-fixing 3, although other methods may be used for this purpose.

Figure 4 shows the present invention as a bib format with the 'C' shaped pocket form 4 at the bottom.

Claims (11)

1. A lap protector comprising of a soft material which, when draped over the lap, sags in the middle to hold food items and with a firm structure that is able to bridge between the legs to maintain a sufficient support for holding the food item(s)

2. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the soft material is neoprene

3. A lap protector as claimed in Claim 2 whereby the neoprene is covered in material on one or both sides

4. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the lap protector has at least one pocket

5. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the lap protector has side walls

6. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the area bridging between the legs achieves its support by the form of the pocket

7. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the area bridging between the legs achieves its support by the form of the pocket being a 'C' section created by the single piece of material from the main lap part flowing up and around into the pocket part which is fixed down flat at each side

8. A lap protector as claimed in Claim I whereby the pocket is made up of at least one additional part being added to the main lap protector part

9. A lap protector as claimed in Claim 1 whereby the area bridging between the legs has additional supporting material to achieve the bridge structure

10. A lap protector as claimed in Claim 7 which is formed like a bib to protect the chest which has material to connect around the neck

11. A lap protector substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.