Portable Tray

Abstract

A portable tray having a base, a rear wall, a front wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall. The rear wall is connected to the base. The front wall is connected to the base opposite the rear wall. The sidewalls connected to the base opposite of each other. The front wall and rear wall may each comprise a stretchable portion adjacent a hinge of the base. The front of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall may be configured to releasably join to a sidewall of a second tray.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable tray, comprising:
 a base comprising a hinge, a tray first portion, and a tray second portion, the hinge connecting the first portion to the second portion, the first portion is moveable about an axis of rotation at the hinge between an expanded position and a compact position where the axis of rotation extends along a length of the base, the first portion extends a width of the base when in the expanded position;   a rear wall connected to the base;   a front wall connected to the base opposite the rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall each comprise a stretchable portion adjacent the hinge;   a first sidewall connected to the base; and,   a second sidewall connected to the base opposite the first sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The tray of  claim 1 , comprising a first side hinge, a second side hinge, a front hinge, and a rear hinge; the first side hinge connecting the first sidewall to the base, the second side hinge connecting the second sidewall to the base, the first sidewall is movable about the first side hinge between a raised position where the first sidewall extends above the base and a stored position where the first sidewall overlaps the base, the second sidewall is movable about the second side hinge between a raised position where the second sidewall extends above the base and a stored position where the second sidewall overlaps the base; the front hinge connecting the front wall to the base, the rear hinge connecting the rear wall to the base, the front wall is movable about the front hinge between a raised position where the front wall extends above the base and a stored position where the front wall is under the base, the rear wall is movable about the rear hinge between a raised position where the rear wall extends above the base and a stored position where the rear wall is under the base. 
     
     
         3 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a first cup holder, the second portion comprises a second cup holder, the front wall comprises a first recessed rim portion forming a first aperture and a second recessed rim portion forming a second aperture, when the front wall is in a compact configuration the front wall overlaps the base, the first aperture is aligned with the first cup holder, and the second aperture is aligned with the second cup holder. 
     
     
         4 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall comprises a plurality of recessed rim portions in a top edge of the front wall; and the back wall comprises a plurality of recesses rim portions in a top edge of the back wall configured to receive a neck of a bottle. 
     
     
         5 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein each stretchable portion is laterally aligned with the hinge. 
     
     
         6 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein each stretchable portion is in a stretched position when the base is in the compact position and each stretchable portion is in a retracted position when the base is in the expanded position. 
     
     
         7 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein a front of each sidewall comprises a clip for releasably joining the sidewall to the front wall. 
     
     
         8 . The tray of  claim 7 , wherein the front wall comprises a post for releasably engaging the clip of the first sidewall or the second sidewall. 
     
     
         9 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein
 each sidewall comprises a first clip for releasably joining the sidewall to the front wall;   each sidewall comprises a first post for releasably joining the sidewall to the rear wall;   the rear wall comprises a second clip at each opposite end for releasably engaging the first post of each sidewall; and,   the front wall comprises a second post at each opposite end for releasably engaging the first clip of each sidewall.   
     
     
         10 . A portable tray, comprising:
 a base;   a rear wall connected to the base;   a front wall connected to the base at a hinge, the front wall opposite the rear wall;   a first sidewall connected to the base; and,   a second sidewall connected to the base opposite the first sidewall, a front of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall are configured to releasably join to a sidewall of a second tray,   the front wall moveable about an axis of rotation at the hinge between a raised position and a lowered position where the axis of rotation extends along a width of the base.   
     
     
         11 . The tray of  claim 10 , wherein the front of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprise a clip configured to releasably join the sidewall of the second tray. 
     
     
         12 . The tray of  claim 11 , wherein each clip is further configured to releasably engage the front wall when the front wall is in the raised position. 
     
     
         13 . The tray of  claim 11 , wherein the front of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprises a post for receiving a clip of a second portable tray. 
     
     
         14 . The tray of  claim 11 , wherein the front of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprises a post, the clip of each sidewall extends from the post of the sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The tray of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprise an aperture adjacent the post opposite of the clip of the sidewall. 
     
     
         16 . The tray of  claim 11 , comprising a first side hinge, a second side hinge, a front hinge, and a rear hinge; the first side hinge connecting the first sidewall to the base, the second side hinge connecting the second sidewall to the base, the first sidewall is movable about the first side hinge between a raised position where the first sidewall extends above the base and a stored position where the first sidewall overlaps the base, the second sidewall is movable about the second side hinge between a raised position where the second sidewall extends above the base and a stored position where the second sidewall overlaps the base; the front hinge connecting the front wall to the base, the rear hinge connecting the rear wall to the base, the front wall is movable about the front hinge between a raised position where the front wall extends above the base and a stored position where the front wall is under the base, the rear wall is movable about the rear hinge between a raised position where the rear wall extends above the base and a stored position where the rear wall is under the base. 
     
     
         17 . A method of forming an enlarged portable tray, comprising:
 releasably joining a first sidewall of a first tray to a second sidewall of a second tray; and,   releasably joining a second sidewall of the first tray to a first sidewall of the second tray.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising, before the first releasably joining, lowering a front wall of the first tray from a connection with the first and second sidewalls of the first tray to a lowered position, and lowering a front wall of the second tray from a connection with the first and second sidewalls of the second tray to a lowered position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising underlapping a base of the second tray with a front wall of the first tray and overlapping a base of the first tray with a front wall of the second tray. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising aligning apertures of the front wall of each tray with a corresponding plurality of cup holders in the base of the other of the first tray or the second tray.