Apparatus for levelly supporting objects over an inclined surface

Abstract

An apparatus supports objects on a level support plane above an underlying inclined surface, such as a vehicle seat. It comprises three or more substantially rectangular panels that are rotatably interconnected so as to form an isosceles triangular profile, in which the equal sides serve as support panels, and the shortest side is an elevation panel. Each support panel can incorporate one or more container retention structures on both its obverse and reverse surface. The apparatus is configurable, through the rotation of its panels, so that either surface of each support panel can provide the level support plane that supports objects.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting on a level support plane one or more objects above an inclined surface, comprising: three or more panels consisting of an elevation panel and two or more support panels, which support panels consist of a primary support panel and one or more adjunct support panels; wherein the elevation panel is substantially rectangular and has an obverse side, a reverse side, an elevation panel length, and an elevation panel width; wherein the primary support panel is substantially rectangular or square and has an obverse side, a reverse side, a primary support panel length, which is equal to the elevation panel length, and a primary support panel width, which is greater than the elevation panel width; wherein each of the adjunct support panels is substantially congruent with the primary support panel and has an obverse side, a reverse side, an adjunct support panel length, which is equal to the primary support panel length, and an adjunct support panel width, which is equal to the primary support panel width; wherein the elevation panel is rotatably attached lengthwise along a primary connecting edge to a first side of the primary support panel, and the primary connecting edge is configured to allow the primary support panel to rotate around the primary connecting edge through an angle of at least 270; wherein each of the adjunct support panels is rotatably attached lengthwise along an adjunct connecting edge to a second side of the primary support panel, which second side is opposite the first side of the primary support panel, and the adjunct connecting edge is configured to allow each of the adjunct support panels to rotate around the adjunct connecting edge through an angle of at least 270; wherein each of the adjunct support panels has an adjunct free edge, which is opposite the adjunct connecting edge and from which extend one or more adjunct attachment means; wherein the elevation panel has multiple elevation attachment means, distributed across the elevation panel width, which elevation attachment means cooperate conjugately with the adjunct attachment means, and which elevation attachment means are configured to releasably secure one of the adjunct support panels, with respect to the primary support panel, at a panel angle, which is adjustably equal to an inclination angle of the inclined surface; wherein the panels are configurable, by rotation of one or more of the panels about the primary connecting edge and the adjunct connecting edge, to orient as the level support plane, alternatively, the obverse side or the reverse side of the primary support panel, or the obverse side or the reverse side of one of the adjunct support panels, so that the apparatus has 2n alternate level plane configurations, where n is the number of support panels; and wherein each level plane configuration has on the corresponding level support plane, one or more object support structures, which are adapted to secure one or more of the objects.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the object support structures is foldable into a substantially flat profile.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the panels can be rotated so as to lie substantially flat upon one another, thereby collapsing the apparatus into a substantially flattened, compact configuration for convenient storage when not in use.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises four or more panels consisting of an elevation panel and three or more support panels, which support panels consist of a primary support panel and two or more adjunct support panels.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one or more of the object support structures is foldable into a substantially flat profile.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the panels can be rotated so as to lie substantially flat upon one another, thereby collapsing the apparatus into a substantially flattened, compact configuration for convenient storage when not in use.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side profile view of an embodiment of the present invention having two support panels;

(2) FIGS. 2A-2E depict the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the panels rotated into four different level plane configurations;

(3) FIG. 3A is a side profile view of an embodiment of the present invention having three support panels;

(4) FIGS. 3B-3C depict the embodiment of FIG. 3A with the panels rotated into two different level plane configurations;

(5) FIG. 4A depicts the configuration of FIG. 3C with the panels being rotated toward a flattened configuration;

(6) FIG. 4B depicts the embodiment of FIG. 3A with the panels rotated into a flattened configuration;

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention having two support panels and having two object support structures consisting of non-skid surfaces;

(8) FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment having two support panels and having an object support structure comprising foldable retention walls;

(10) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 with the retention walls folded down;

(11) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment having three support panels and having object support structures comprising foldable wall compartments and a non-skid surface;

(12) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment having three support panels and having object support structures comprising circular apertures and a non-skid surface;

(13) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 folded into a flattened configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(14) Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, one embodiment of the present invention has two support panels, consisting of a primary support panel 12 and an adjunct support panel 13, which provides the level support plane 21. Strips of flexible plastic or plastic tape form the rotatable primary connecting edge 14 and the adjunct connecting edge 15. The primary support panel 12 and the adjunct support panel 13 both have object support structures 27 consisting of non-skid surfaces 28. The elevation panel 11 supports the adjunct support panel 13 at the selected panel angle 19 by the insertion of a flexible tab 17 into one of multiple slots 18.

(15) Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, another embodiment of the present invention also has two support panels, with the primary support panel containing an object retention structure 27 consisting of foldable walls 29. The rotatable primary connecting edge 14 and adjunct connecting edge 15 are formed by strips of flexible plastic or plastic tape.

(16) In FIGS. 9 and 10 are depicted embodiments having three support panels, consisting of the primary support panel 12, the first adjunct support panel 31, and the second adjunct support panel 32. In FIG. 9, the level support plane 21 is the primary support panel 12, which has an object retention structure 27 consisting of foldable partition walls 29, adapted for holding drink cups. The second adjunct support panel 32 contains, as an object support structure 27, a non-skid surface 28.

(17) In FIG. 10, the level support plane 21 is provided by the first adjunct support panel 31, which has, as its object retention structures 27, four circular apertures 30 adapted for holding drink cups.

(18) FIG. 11 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 9 folded down into a substantially flattened configuration, in accordance with FIGS. 4A and 4B, for convenient storage.

(19) Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many additions, modifications and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims.