GB2598122A

GB2598122A - Apparatus for supporting articles

Info

Publication number: GB2598122A
Application number: GB2012916.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Samuel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-08-18
Filing date: 2020-08-18
Publication date: 2022-02-23
Also published as: GB202012916D0

Abstract

An apparatus includes a body 4, e.g. a tray, for supporting articles and a support 16, e.g. a handle, moveable relative to the body 4 to be folded or unfolded. When the handle 16 is unfolded, the tray 4 is suitable to be supported by a user should a tensile member 36, e.g. a neck strap, be attached to the handle 16 and by: the neck strap 36 being attached to the user and the tray 4 abutting the user. The handle 16 is releasably lockable when unfolded, potentially by a magnet or by movement of the handle 16 causing an engagement of a protrusion and slot. The handle 16 may pivot relative to the tray 4 to be folded or unfolded, and is slidable to be locked. The neck strap 36 may be releasably attached to the handle 16 by a slot 38 and/or magnet. The apparatus may include the neck strap 36.

Description

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for supporting articles to enable carrying thereof, and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a tray for enabling carrying of articles by persons of limited mobility.

Carrying articles on a tray is difficult for persons having limited mobility in one or both arms.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure seek to provide an apparatus which enables persons of limited mobility to more easily carry articles.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for supporting articles to enable carrying thereof, the apparatus comprising:-a body adapted to support at least one article; and at least one support member moveable relative to the body between a folded condition and an unfolded condition, wherein when the support member is in the unfolded condition, the apparatus can be supported by a user by means of a tensile member attached to the user and to the support member, and by abutment of the body against the user; wherein at least one said support member is releasably lockable in unfolded condition thereof.

By providing at least one support member moveable between a folded condition and an unfolded condition, wherein when the support member is in the unfolded condition, the apparatus can be supported by a user by means of a tensile member attached to the user and to the support member, and by abutment of the body against the user, this provides the advantage of reducing the extent to which both of the user's arms are necessary to carry the apparatus, thereby making the apparatus significantly easier to use by persons of limited mobility.

At least one said support member may be releasably lockable in the unfolded condition thereof by means of movement of the support member relative to the body between a locked condition and an unlocked condition thereof.

This provides the advantage of simplifying construction of the apparatus.

Movement of at least one said support member between a locked condition and an unlocked condition thereof may cause engagement of a protrusion, on one of the support member and the body, with a slot, on the other of the support member and the body.

At least one said protrusion may be fixed relative to the 20 body, and the folded condition and/or unfolded condition of at least one said support member may be defined by abutment of the support member against the protrusion.

At least one said support member may be pivotable relative 25 to the body between the folded condition and the unfolded condition thereof, and may be slidable between the locked condition and unlocked condition thereof.

This provides the advantage of simplifying construction of 30 the apparatus.

At least one said support member may be releasably lockable in an unfolded condition thereof by means of first retaining means.

The first retaining means may comprise at least one magnet.

The apparatus may further comprise attachment means for enabling a tensile member to be releasably attached to at least one said support member.

The attachment means may comprise at least one slot for engaging at least one said support member.

This provides the advantage of enabling easy engagement and/or disengagement of attachment means from the support member.

The apparatus may further comprise second retaining means for releasably retaining the attachment means in engagement with at least one said support member.

The second retaining means may comprise at least one magnet.

The apparaLus may fur Lher comprise aL leasL one Lensile member adapted to be connected to a user and to apply tension to 20 at least one said support member.

preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of tray apparatus of an embodiment; Figure 2 is a cross sectional side view of the tray apparatus of Figure 1 with the handle thereof in an unfolded condition and a locked condition thereof and with the neck strap removed; Figure 3 is a side view of the tray apparatus of Figure 2 35 with the strap clip thereof and neck strap removed, and with the handle thereof in a folded condition; Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 3 with the handle in an intermediate position between the folded and unfolded conditions thereof; Figure 5 a view of the apparatus of Figure 3 with the handle in the unfolded and unlocked conditions thereof; and Figure 6 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 3 with 10 the handle in the unfolded and locked conditions.

Referring to the Figures 1 to 6, an apparatus in the form of a tray 2 for use by persons of limited mobility has a body 4 defining a support surface 6 for supporting objects (not shown) thereon, the support surface 6 being bounded by front and rear walls 8, 10 and side walls 12, 14. A support member in the form of a handle 16 has mounting portions 18 at each of its ends, and the mounLing porLious 18 are pivoLably mounLed Lo pivoL bolLs 20 provided in side walls 12, 14 so that the handle 16 can be pivoted relative to the body 4 between a folded condition (Figure 3), to facilitate storage of the tray 2, and an unfolded condition (Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6).

A protrusion in the form of a stopper 22 is provided in one or both of the side walls 12, 14, spaced from the corresponding pivot bolt 20 in a direction of movement of the handle 16 between an unlocked condition (Figure 5) and a locked condition (Figure 6). Each of the mounting portions 18 defines a slot 24 for the corresponding stopper 22 as the handle 16 is moved from its unlocked condition to its locked condition. Each mounting portion 18 defines a short side 26 and a long side 28 of its slot 24. The long side 28 of each slot 24 engages the corresponding stopper 22 in each of the locked (Figure 6) and unlocked conditions (Figure 5) of the handle 16 when the handle 16 is in its unfolded condition, to prevent rotation of the handle 16 relative to the body 4 past the unfolded condition, and the short side 26 of each slot 24 engages the corresponding stopper 22 only when the handle 16 is in its unfolded and locked conditions, to prevent rotation of the handle 16 relative to the body 4 towards its folded condition. Each of the mounting portions 18 also has a protrusion 30 for engaging the corresponding stopper 22 when the handle 16 is in its folded condition (Figure 3). First retaining means is provided on each of the side walls 12, 14 in the form of a pair of first magnets 32, one of which is mounted on the side wall 12, 14, and the other of which is mounted to the handle 16, for releasably 10 retaining the handle 16 in its locked condition.

The tray 2 also includes attachment means in the form of a neck strap clip 34 for enabling the handle 16 to be supported by a tensile member in the form of a neck strap 36 worn around the neck of a user and attached to the neck strap clip 34. The neck strap clip 34 has one or more slots 38 for engaging the handle 16, and second retaining means in the form of a pair of second magnets 40 is provided for releasably reLaining Lhe neck sLrap clip 34 in engagement with the handle 16. One of the second magnets 40 is provided in each slot 38 of the neck strap clip 34, and one of the second magnets 40 is provided on the handle generally midway between its ends.

Operation of the tray 2 shown in Figures 1 to 6 will now be 25 described.

The tray 2 is initially arranged with the handle 16 in its folded condition (Figure 3) to facilitate storage of the tray 2, i.e. with the protrusion 30 of each mounting portion 18 abutting the corresponding stopper 22. The handle 16 is then pivoted about the pivot bolts 20 until the long side 28 of the slot 24 of each mounting portion 18 abuts the corresponding stopper 22 when the handle 16 reaches its unfolded condition. The handle 16 is then moved in the direction of the slots 24 so that the short side 26 of each slot 24 engages the corresponding stopper 22 to prevent the handle 16 from being rotated back to its folded condition.

The handle 16 is then releasably retained in this position by means of the first magnets 32.

With the handle 16 in its unfolded and locked conditions, 5 the neck strap clip 34, with the neck strap 36 attached thereto, is brought into engagement with the handle 16, and is releasably retained in engagement with the handle 16 by means of the second magnets 40. Articles can then be supported on the support surface 6 of the body 4 and the tray 2 can be carried by means of abutment 10 of the front wall 8 of the body 4 with the user's body, and tension applied to the handle 16 by means of the neck strap 36 supported by the user's neck.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the disclosure as defined by Lhe appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. An apparatus for supporting articles to enable carrying thereof, the apparatus comprising:-a body adapted to support at least one article; and at least one support member moveable relative to the body between a folded condition and an unfolded condition, wherein when the support member is in the unfolded condition, the apparatus can be supported by a user by means of a tensile member attached to the user and to the support member, and by abutment of the body against the user; wherein at least one said support member is releasably lockable in unfolded condition thereof.
2. An apparaLus according Lo claim 1, wherein aL leasL one said support member is releasably lockable in the unfolded condition 20 thereof by means of movement of the support member relative to the body between a locked condition and an unlocked condition thereof.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein movement of at least one said support member between a locked condition and an unlocked condition thereof causes engagement of a protrusion, on one of the support member and the body, with a slot, on the other of the support member and the body.
4. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least one said 30 protrusion is fixed relative to the body, and the folded condition and/or unfolded condition of at least one said support member is defined by abutment of the support member against the protrusion.
5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, 35 wherein at least one said support member is pivotable relative to the body between the folded condition and the unfolded condition thereof, and is slidable between the locked condition and unlocked condition thereof.
6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, 5 wherein at least one said support member is releasably lockable in an unfolded condition thereof by means of first retaining means.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first retaining means comprises at least one magnet.
8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising attachment means for enabling a tensile member to be releasably attached to at least one said support member.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the attachment means comprises at least one slot for engaging at least one said support member.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising 20 second retaining means for releasably retaining the attachment means in engagement with at least one said support member.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second retaining means comprises at least one magnet.
12. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one tensile member adapted to be connected to a user and to apply tension to at least one said support member.