Tray for handheld electronic devices

Abstract

A tray for holding handheld devices, such as cell phones, PDAs, GPS devices, and the like is disclosed. The tray has recesses for holding handheld devices, including disclosing nested recesses for holding devices of various shapes and sizes. Indicia such as color banding at one end, is disclosed to facilitate processing of the trays in a packaging process.

1 . A device for holding several handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDA's, GPS units, comprising:
 a tray that has raised portions and lowered recesses relative thereto, said recesses being arranged in more than one column and more than one row;   said recesses individually being shaped to closely hold one handheld electronic device;   said tray having a front edge, and said recesses in said columns being oriented to point the handheld devices in the same direction vis-à-vis said front edge;   said tray having a back edge which is opposite of said front edge;   said tray further having visual indicia which readily distinguishes said front edge from said back edge to facilitate placement of said tray with said front edge properly in a front orientation.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said recesses include both a primary recess and a secondary recess nested at least partially within and at least partially below said primary recess, said primary recess being shaped to hold a first sized handheld electronic device, and said secondary recess being shaped to alternatively hold a second sized handheld electronic device smaller than said first sized device. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said recesses are shaped to accommodate both a lower and upper part of a flip-phone in an open position and inverted to expose a back side SIM card receptacle in said phone. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said tray is rectilinear and is formed by molding at least one flat sheet of plastic into a unitary piece having said raised portions and lowered recesses. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said tray has tops surface and an opposite bottom surfaces, wherein said top surfaces and bottom surfaces are substantially the same and wherein like trays are stackable in close vertical proximity when not holding a handheld device. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein said tray is formed by molding together two different sheets of flat plastic having colors different from each other, said different colors providing said visual indicia which readily distinguishes said front edge from said back edge. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said recesses are shaped to accommodate both a lower and upper part of a flip-phone in an open position and inverted to expose a back side SIM card receptacle in said phone. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said tray is rectilinear and is formed by molding at least one flat sheet of plastic into a unitary piece having said raised portions and lowered recesses. 
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said tray has tops surface and an opposite bottom surfaces, wherein said top surfaces and bottom surfaces are substantially the same and wherein like trays are stackable in close vertical proximity when not holding a handheld device. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said tray is formed by molding together two different sheets of flat plastic having colors different from each other, said different colors providing said visual indicia which readily distinguishes said front edge from said back edge. 
   
   
       11 . A device for holding several handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDA's, GPS units, comprising:
 a tray that has raised portions and lowered recesses relative thereto, said recesses being arranged in more than one column and more than one row;   wherein said recesses include both a primary recess and a secondary recess nested at least partially within and at least partially below said primary recess, said primary recess being shaped to hold a first sized handheld electronic device, and said secondary recess being shaped to alternatively hold a second sized handheld electronic device smaller than said first sized device.   
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said recesses are shaped to accommodate both a lower and upper part of a flip-phone in an open position and inverted to expose a back side SIM card receptacle in said phone. 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said tray is rectilinear and is formed by molding at least one flat sheet of plastic into a unitary piece having said raised portions and lowered recesses. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said tray has tops surface and an opposite bottom surfaces, wherein said top surfaces and bottom surfaces are substantially the same and wherein like trays are stackable in close vertical proximity when not holding a handheld device. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said tray is formed by molding together two different sheets of flat plastic having colors different from each other, said different colors providing visual indicia which readily distinguishes a front edge from an opposite back edge. 
   
   
       16 . A device for holding several handheld electronic devices, comprising:
 a tray that has raised portions and lowered recesses relative thereto, said recesses being arranged in more than one column and more than one row;   wherein said recesses are shaped to closely hold both a lower and upper part of a flip-phone in an open position and inverted to expose a back side SIM card receptacle in said phone.   
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 16  wherein said tray has visual indicia which readily distinguishes a front edge from a back edge to facilitate placement of said tray with said front edge properly in a front orientation. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said tray is formed by molding together two different sheets of flat plastic having colors different from each other, said different colors providing said visual indicia which readily distinguishes said front edge from said back edge. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 16  wherein said tray has tops surface and an opposite bottom surfaces, wherein said top surfaces and bottom surfaces are substantially the same and wherein like trays are stackable in close vertical proximity when not holding a handheld device. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said tray has tops surface and an opposite bottom surfaces, wherein said top surfaces and bottom surfaces are substantially the same and wherein like trays are stackable in close vertical proximity when not holding a handheld device.