Bag convertible to tray

Abstract

A bag convertible to a tray. The bag incorporates a tray portion made from a first material, with a second, more flaccid material extending the walls of the tray portion. Score lines along the more flaccid material enable a user to tear the walls from the open end of the bag to the tray portion. With the tray portion of the bag on the lap of the user seated on a seat, the walls of the bag, now separated, may be placed over the abdomen and legs of the user, for example, to intercept spillage, with intervening walls placed underneath the legs of the user to anchor the tray portion on the lap of the user.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A bag which is convertible to a tray, comprising:
 a tray portion including a floor and a plurality of upstanding walls projecting from the floor, wherein each two adjacent walls meet one another at a corner of the tray portion, an axis along and central to the upstanding walls, and a periphery along which each of the walls is joined to two adjacent walls along respective seams, and   an extension member projecting upwardly from the upstanding walls of the tray portion, wherein
 the extension member has a proximal end in contact with the tray portion and an opposed distal end away from the tray portion; 
 the extension member is continuous about the periphery of the tray portion, and 
 the tray portion is made from a first material and the extension member is made from a tearable material having rigidity less than that of the first material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the bag has a height along the axis when erected in a deployed configuration, the tray portion has a height along the axis when the bag is erected in the deployed configuration, and the height of the tray portion is less than half the height of the bag. 
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the extension member comprises
 one panel for each one of the upstanding walls of the tray portion, each panel extending upwardly from one of the upstanding walls of the tray portion, the extension member further comprising a scored seam between each one of the panels.   
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 3 , wherein the scored seams are on opposed panels of the extension member, and each one of the scored seams includes a first leg extending parallel to the floor of the tray portion, and a second leg intersecting the first leg, projecting perpendicularly therefrom, and extending to a corner of the bag. 
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 3 , wherein the scored seams extend from the corners of the bag from the tray portion to the distal end of the extension member. 
     
     
         6 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the tearable material of the extension member is paper. 
     
     
         7 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first material of the tray portion is cellulosic. 
     
     
         8 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said panels further comprises a malleable material. 
     
     
         9 . The bag of  claim 8 , wherein the malleable material is a wire. 
     
     
         10 . A method of converting a bag to a tray, comprising tearing walls of the bag from a distal end of the bag to a point leaving an untorn zone of each wall of the bag proximate a floor of the bag. 
     
     
         11 . A method of using a bag converted to a tray, wherein walls of the bag have been torn from a distal end of the bag to a point leaving an untorn zone of each wall of the bag proximate a floor of the bag, the method comprising:
 placing the bag on a lap of a user, with a floor of the bag against the lap and one panel of the torn walls covering the abdomen of the user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising placing an opposed panel of the torn walls over legs of the user. 
     
     
         13 . A method of using a bag converted to a tray, wherein walls of the bag have been torn from a distal end of the bag to a point leaving an untorn zone of each wall of the bag proximate a floor of the bag, the method comprising:
 placing the bag on a lap of a user, and   placing one panel of the torn walls beneath a leg of the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the panel placed beneath the leg of the user is a first panel, the method comprising placing a second panel opposed to the first panel beneath the other leg of the user. 
     
     
         15 . A method of converting a bag to a tray, wherein the bag includes a tray portion and wall portion, the method comprising the step of removing the wall portion from the tray portion. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method of removing the wall portion from the tray portion is done by tearing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tray portion is reinforced relative to the wall portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the tray portion is reinforced relative to the wall portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wall portion and the tray portion are separated by perforations. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of removing the wall portion from the tray portion is accomplished by utilizing said perforations.